fight? I hate to miss
those.”
“I’m taking this one upstairs to keep any swings from breaking out,” August told him.
Mase leaned against the counter in front of me before crossing his arms in front of his chest. “She can take swings if she wants, but she won’t touch Harlow. Not if she wants to keep
her bones in working order,” he drawled as if he were bored.
August’s eyebrows shot up. “Dude, Harlow isn’t innocent here. She was mouthing off pretty good, too.”
Mase glanced back at me over his shoulder. “Did you talk back to her?” he asked.
I nodded. No use in lying. A grin broke out on his face. “Well, I’ll be damned. That’s my girl.” he turned back to August. “You can go on and take up with that one
all you want. But when she’s stomped you under her spiky heels and crushed you, then you’ll see what a stupid idea this was.”
“Ugh, I hate both of you. Come on, August. Let’s go,” Nan grabbed his arm and they left the kitchen. We could hear Nan’s heels as she stormed up the stairs like a
preschooler.
“That was . . . uh . . . interesting,” Adam said, then took a drink of his coffee.
“Ain’t it though. This place is a damn zoo,” Mase replied, and looked back at me. “Got any coffee left?”
I nodded and fixed him a cup then walked around the bar. It was awkward now. I wasn’t sure what to do with Adam after all that.
“I’m Harlow’s brother, Mase.”
He was introducing himself to Adam. I was a horrible hostess.
“Adam. Nice to meet you,” he replied.
“You two have a good night?” Mase asked.
“Yes,” we both said and I blushed.
Mase chuckled. “Well, I’ll head on up to bed. See you in the morning. Nice meeting you, Adam,” he said, kissing the top of my head, then heading for the stairs.
Once his heavy footsteps hit the stairs I looked over at Adam. “I’m sorry about all that. Maybe asking you in was a bad idea.”
“No. I, uh, get it now. Why you don’t like staying here. She’s mean as a damn snake. I am trying to figure out why August is messing around with her. I wonder if she even knows
he has a little girl. Surely he isn’t letting her near his kid when he gets her on his weekends.”
Whoa . . . Nan was dating a man with a kid? I couldn’t imagine that.
“I hope he doesn’t. I’m afraid Nan would see a kid as competition for his attention. She’s that immature.”
Adam nodded and frowned. “I was thinking that, too.”
I drank some more of my coffee and considered inviting him into the living room or just saying good night. I was tired and after all that I wasn’t sure I wanted to make this last any
longer. Especially if Nan started getting loud.
“I’m getting tired and my head is a little scattered.”
Adam nodded and gave me an understanding smile, then stood up.
“I get that. I would be, too.”
I set my cup down and led him back to the door.
“Thanks again for tonight, and I’m really sorry about all this.”
Adam didn’t respond right away. Instead, he stared down at me a moment as if he were deciding something important. Then he bent down slowly and in that brief moment I knew what was about
to happen. It would be my first kiss since Grant. I had kissed Grant a lot during those two weeks. I didn’t want to compare him to Grant, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop
myself.
When his lips touched mine they weren’t as soft but they were warm. He moved over my mouth gently and it was pleasant. He didn’t try for anything more. When he pulled back and smiled
at me I knew that nothing would ever be as good as Grant’s kisses but that I could live with this.
“They are as soft and plump as they look,” he said, then shook his head with a grin on his face. “Good night, Harlow.” He opened the door before I could say more and
stepped outside, closing it behind him.
He wasn’t Grant but he was nice. He wanted me. And the smile on his face made me feel special. As if I had been
those.”
“I’m taking this one upstairs to keep any swings from breaking out,” August told him.
Mase leaned against the counter in front of me before crossing his arms in front of his chest. “She can take swings if she wants, but she won’t touch Harlow. Not if she wants to keep
her bones in working order,” he drawled as if he were bored.
August’s eyebrows shot up. “Dude, Harlow isn’t innocent here. She was mouthing off pretty good, too.”
Mase glanced back at me over his shoulder. “Did you talk back to her?” he asked.
I nodded. No use in lying. A grin broke out on his face. “Well, I’ll be damned. That’s my girl.” he turned back to August. “You can go on and take up with that one
all you want. But when she’s stomped you under her spiky heels and crushed you, then you’ll see what a stupid idea this was.”
“Ugh, I hate both of you. Come on, August. Let’s go,” Nan grabbed his arm and they left the kitchen. We could hear Nan’s heels as she stormed up the stairs like a
preschooler.
“That was . . . uh . . . interesting,” Adam said, then took a drink of his coffee.
“Ain’t it though. This place is a damn zoo,” Mase replied, and looked back at me. “Got any coffee left?”
I nodded and fixed him a cup then walked around the bar. It was awkward now. I wasn’t sure what to do with Adam after all that.
“I’m Harlow’s brother, Mase.”
He was introducing himself to Adam. I was a horrible hostess.
“Adam. Nice to meet you,” he replied.
“You two have a good night?” Mase asked.
“Yes,” we both said and I blushed.
Mase chuckled. “Well, I’ll head on up to bed. See you in the morning. Nice meeting you, Adam,” he said, kissing the top of my head, then heading for the stairs.
Once his heavy footsteps hit the stairs I looked over at Adam. “I’m sorry about all that. Maybe asking you in was a bad idea.”
“No. I, uh, get it now. Why you don’t like staying here. She’s mean as a damn snake. I am trying to figure out why August is messing around with her. I wonder if she even knows
he has a little girl. Surely he isn’t letting her near his kid when he gets her on his weekends.”
Whoa . . . Nan was dating a man with a kid? I couldn’t imagine that.
“I hope he doesn’t. I’m afraid Nan would see a kid as competition for his attention. She’s that immature.”
Adam nodded and frowned. “I was thinking that, too.”
I drank some more of my coffee and considered inviting him into the living room or just saying good night. I was tired and after all that I wasn’t sure I wanted to make this last any
longer. Especially if Nan started getting loud.
“I’m getting tired and my head is a little scattered.”
Adam nodded and gave me an understanding smile, then stood up.
“I get that. I would be, too.”
I set my cup down and led him back to the door.
“Thanks again for tonight, and I’m really sorry about all this.”
Adam didn’t respond right away. Instead, he stared down at me a moment as if he were deciding something important. Then he bent down slowly and in that brief moment I knew what was about
to happen. It would be my first kiss since Grant. I had kissed Grant a lot during those two weeks. I didn’t want to compare him to Grant, but I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop
myself.
When his lips touched mine they weren’t as soft but they were warm. He moved over my mouth gently and it was pleasant. He didn’t try for anything more. When he pulled back and smiled
at me I knew that nothing would ever be as good as Grant’s kisses but that I could live with this.
“They are as soft and plump as they look,” he said, then shook his head with a grin on his face. “Good night, Harlow.” He opened the door before I could say more and
stepped outside, closing it behind him.
He wasn’t Grant but he was nice. He wanted me. And the smile on his face made me feel special. As if I had been
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